Firebug
by FireBuff51
Summary: There's an arsonist loose in Station 51's district. Meanwhile, Johnny can't wait to start his vacation and Dr. Early helps a young fire victim.


_**EMERGENCY!**_

**FIREBUG**

Radio traffic echoed off of the brick walls of Station 51 as Johnny walked onto the apparatus floor from the locker room.

Engine 51's crew was on the ramp in front of the station washing their Ward La France pumper.

" Shift's just started and they're already washing the rig? ", asked Johnny.

Roy stood before the open compartment doors on the side of Squad 51 as he took inventory of the equipment and medications.

" Didn't ya hear about the night 'C' shift had? ", Roy answered." They caught three working structure runs. All started out as garage fires. Arson unit's investigating."

" Aw, great. A firebug. That's all I need. It figures there'd be a firebug in our district the day before I take my vacation. I was hoping for a nice, quiet shift."

Roy glanced up at him from his clipboard and gave him one of _those_ looks.

" Well, the last thing we want is for you to be inconvenienced. Maybe you should just go home now. One of the guys from "B" shift might come in and work a double for you."

" Alright, Roy. Nobody needs your sarcasm this early in the morning."

Captain Stanley stepped from his office, sipping coffee.

" Good news, Roy.", he said happily." Brice is gonna fill in for John next shift."

Roy's head dropped.

" You just had to take your vacation, didn't you? ", he sighed.

" Hey, I haven't had a vacation in a long time.", Johnny replied." I'm overworked. I need time to recharge my batteries, to refresh myself, to-"

" Aw, so leave already, will ya? ", Chet moaned as he walked back into the station carrying a bucket." I think that'd refresh all of us."

" Hey, Chester.", Johnny started." Don't-"

Four alert tones sounded followed by the buzzer.

" STATION 51, STATION 127.", the dispatcher called." MAN TRAPPED. 13245 VENTURA. 1-3-2-4-5 VENTURA. CROSS STREET VICTORY. TIME OUT: 0815."

Roy quickly closed the compartment doors and jogged around the front of the squad. The captain copied down the information and picked up the mike of the station's radio.

" Station 51, 10-4. KMG365."

Johnny slipped on his helmet as Roy started the squad's engine.

" If you're so stressed out, maybe you can catch some shut eye on the way.", said Roy.

Johnny hit the siren as they rolled out of the station.

" Ya know, you're not funny."

They pulled onto the busy boulevard. Seconds later, the engine rolled after them, it's mechanical siren wailing in concert with the squad's electric siren, occasionally punctuated by the engine's air horn.

The two vehicles sped through the morning traffic, the cars parting ahead of them like the Red Sea.

As they rounded the next corner, a tall construction crane came into view. Johnny peered out of his window.

" Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me! ", he said in amazement." There's somebody hangin' off of that crane! "

" What? ", asked Roy, steering the squad onto Ventura Boulevard.

" I'm serious, Roy. Looks like he's hangin' from a parachute off the end of that crane."

" He must be our customer, then."

Thirty seconds later, they pulled onto a construction site and rolled to a stop in a cloud of dust.

" I don't believe it! It's the craziest thing I've ever seen.", said the foreman, an older man wearing an orange helmet as Captain Stanley hopped down from the engine.

" What happened? ", Stanley squinted up at the crane.

" We just started the shift and here come these two parachute guys, flying pretty quick, too. One of 'em landed pretty hard on that pile of lumber over there. The other fella snags his chute on the end of that boom."

" Help me! ", shouted the man who dangled from the crane.

" Hang on, Pal! ", the Captain shouted up to him." We're comin' for ya! "

Johnny opened a compartment on the squad and retrieved two bundles of rope.

" How come we always get the crazy runs? "

Roy tossed the rope over his shoulder and strapped on his safety belt.

" Well, think of the stories you'll have to tell while you're on vacation."

Chet and Mike pulled the engine's limited medical gear and hurried over to assist the second skydiver.

He was a young African-American man, who sat at the base of a large lumber pile. His bright red parachute was draped over much of the pile.

" How ya feelin' buddy? ", asked Chet as he stooped beside the man.

" Aw, I think my leg's busted.", the man grimaced as he pulled off his yellow helmet in disgust." It's the right one."

" Ya hurt anywhere else? "

" No."

" What happened, exactly? ", asked Mike.

" We were supposed to drop into the parking lot of that new supermarket up the street. It's the grand opening. We've done it before, except this time…well, I guess the winds were worse than we thought. Blew us off course. Charlie up there's gonna start freakin' out in a couple of minutes if you guys don't get 'im down. He's afraid of heights."

" He's a skydiver, and he's afraid of heights? ", asked Chet incredulously.

" What've ya got? ", Johnny called.

" Broken leg.", Mike called back." Looks like he's okay, otherwise."

" Careful.", Chet shouted over his shoulder." Apparently, that guy up there's afraid of heights."

" Come again? ", Johnny asked, jogging over.

" I know, man.", replied the man on the ground as Station 127 arrived." I know it sounds crazy, but when Charlie's jumpin' outta planes, he doesn't think twice about it. He just does it. And he's good, too. But if he's gotta stay up real high, stationary, for a long time? It starts to get to him."

" Come on! Please! Get me down! ", the first man shouted, kicking his legs, which caused him to sway back and forth.

" See what I mean? You cats better hurry up."

Johnny and Roy hurried towards the crane. It was 12 stories tall, with a horizontal boom about a hundred feet long.

Roy opened a mesh door at the base of the crane and they stepped into a cramped cubical. They stared up at the zigzag of ladders that led to the control room at the top of the crane.

As they began their climb, the construction site and vehicles below began to grow smaller and smaller.

" So, you guys like bein' firemen? ", the foreman asked Marco, who stood beside him.

Marco shielded his eyes from the sun as he watched Johnny and Roy climb..

" It has its moments."

Johnny and Roy reached the top of the column and stepped out onto a small platform beside the control room that was surrounded by railing. The wind briskly whipped past them, causing the structure around them to rattle.

Johnny steadied himself against the side of the control room, then climbed over the railing and onto the crane assembly. Roy took a deep breath and followed him.

They ducked into the middle of the boom and climbed over the scaffolding on their hands and knees, the soles of their boots clanking against the metal.

As they climbed out onto the side of the boom, Truck 127 had been pulled into position below and the crew was busy raising the snorkel.

Johnny and Roy tied off their lifelines. Part of the red silk parachute flapped up into Roy's face and he had to slap it away.

" How ya doin' down there? ", Johnny shouted down to the victim.

" How do you think I'm doing? ", the man snapped.

Johnny dropped the rest of his slack and kicked off of the crane assembly. He quickly slid down the rope, then used his Figure-8 clip to stop his descent beside the victim.

Seconds later, Roy dropped down on the other side and tied himself off.

" Are you hurt anywhere? "

" N-no. I'm okay. I just wanna get down."

" Well, alright.", said Johnny." We just need you to take it easy."

" Okay. Okay.", the man said, taking deep breaths." I'll try to…"

There was a ripping sound and the man fell several feet before his ascent was violently

halted by the lines that hung from the parachute.

" Get me down! Get me down! ", the man cried.

The two firefighters lowered themselves further.

" Alright. Listen, buddy.", Johnny said, unclipping a spare safety belt from his own that was also attached to a rope." I'm gonna wrap this belt around you. Then, I'm gonna clip it to mine. You're gonna hold onto me and then we're both gonna end up down in that snorkel basket, okay? It'll be a piece of cake."

" Sure. For you, maybe.", the man replied nervously.

A strong gust of wind blew him sideways and caused him to twist around in his harness.

He clawed out desperately and caught Roy's sleeve, then grabbed his left forearm.  
" Ya gotta calm down! ", Roy shouted, using his free hand to grip his own line.

Johnny swiped urgently at the man and caught part of his harness. He held onto the man with one hand and threw the belt around him with the other. He kicked out and wrapped his legs around the victim's, then quickly attached the belt.

" Okay, now let go of my partner and grab a hold of me."

" I can't! I can't! ", the man cried, tugging on Roy's arm.

Faint radio traffic echoed up from the rigs below, emphasizing just how far up they really were.

Roy pried the man's fingers loose and pushed him towards Johnny. The man wrapped his arms around Johnny's torso. Johnny clipped his belt to the victim's.

" I'm gonna need to take off your harness.", said Johnny.

" No! You can't! "

" Ya wanna stay up here forever? It's all right. You're attached to me and you've got your own rope. Now hold on. Here we go."

He unbuckled the victim's harness. It pulled off and dangled freely away from him. He wrapped his legs around Johnny who struggled with the added weight.

Johnny opened his Figure-8 loop and they slid down the rope towards two of 127's firefighters in the snorkel basket, thirty feet below.

" Hang on.", Johnny grimaced." Almost there."

" Hurry! ", the man tightly held his eyes shut.

They began to close in on the basket. Twenty feet…ten…

The firefighters reached up and pulled them down into the snorkel basket.

" It's okay.", Johnny said, releasing the rope." You can let go now."

" I don't want to.", the man replied.

The two men from 127's smiled at Johnny and pulled the man off of him. A second later, Roy dropped down into the cramped basket and pulled the rope from his clip.

He leaned back against the sides of the basket and pushed his helmet back on his forehead as he exhaled.

" Hey, do…do you fellas think you can get my chute back? ", asked the victim, pulling off his helmet." I think I can patch it."

Johnny stared at Roy, then turned his back on the man.

" ENGINE 51, L.A..", called Captain Stanley's Handy-Talkie." ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR A GARAGE FIRE IN YOUR DISTRICT? "

" Engine 51, affirmative. All units available on scene.", Stanley replied as he waved to his men." Alright! Let's roll! We've got another run! "

The firefighters hurried to their rigs as the tones began to sound.

" STATION 51, STATION 127, ENGINE 110, TRUCK 118, BATTALION 14. GARAGE FIRE. 114 LANGTREE COURT. 1-1-4 LANGTREE COURT. CROSS STREET HAMILTON. TIME OUT 0842."

Dr, Brackett dropped a chart into the rack on the wall near the base station and picked up a cup of coffee from the desk that Dixie had just poured for herself..

" Care for some coffee, Kel? ", she asked sarcastically.

" Hey, how about a little sympathy for the Good Doctor? ", he sighed." I just got out of surgery. Is it true we had four patients from a fire last night? "

" Yep.", she replied taking the coffee back from him." Engine 51's crew from the last shift saved all four. Three minor. One serious."

" What's the one serious? "

" Six year old. Smoke inhalation. Second degree burns to a leg and arm. Joe's been checking in on her."

Katrina Swenson sat up in her hospital bed, her right arm wrapped in gauze. A 4x4 dressing partially covered a red scrape on her forehead.

She was crying.

Her mother sat on the edge of the bed, doing her best to console her.

" I'll never see Otto again.", she sobbed." He burned up in the fire. I miss him, Mommy."

" Everything will be okay, Sweetheart.", her mother spoke softly with a Swedish accent." We'll get you another Otto."  
" I don't want another Otto. I want the _real_ Otto! "

The door opened and Dr. Early peered inside with his left hand behind his back.

" Well, how's our patient, this morning."

" I lost Otto.", the little girl sniffed.

" Who's Otto? ", Dr. Early asked, stepping into the room, his arm still behind his back.

" Otto is her teddy bear.", her mother explained." She left him behind when our house…"

Her voice trailed off and she held a hand to her mouth.

He pulled a white teddy bear with matted fur from behind his back.

" Would this be the bear in question? "

" Otto! ", the little girl squealed happily.

He handed the bear to her and she embraced him tightly.

" You don't remember it, but you were holding onto him when they brought you in here last night.", said Dr. Early." He was in pretty bad shape, too. Covered in soot, arm was burned."

" Just like me! ", Katrina exclaimed holding the bear up to her arm. The bear's left arm was wrapped in a bandage.

" I stitched him up. One of the nurses was kind enough to give him a bath for you."

" Thank you, Doctor.", her mother smiled, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue." You have made her very happy."

He smiled back as he opened the door.

" Take good care of Otto, okay, Katrina? "

" I will, Doctor! ", she smiled, hugging the bear again.

Dr. Early stepped out into the hall, whistling happily to himself.

Dr. Morton stopped and eyed him suspiciously.

" What's gotten into you? "

" Doctor, its quite amazing how minor surgery on a teddy bear can do wonders for the soul."

He turned on his heel and continued down the hall whistling.

Morton shook his head and walked away.

Engine 51 sat idling in the alley behind a partially burned garage. John and Roy helped Marco repack the hose that they had just used to knock down the fire.

A light haze drifted out from the open garage door. The pavement was wet with sooty water, the acrid smell of smoke still hung in the air.

A red sedan pulled into the opposite end of the alley. A beefy man with brown hair stepped from the car wearing gray slacks and a blue tie.

He slipped on a turnout coat, tucked a helmet under his arm, and pulled a large case from the trunk.

" Investigator Callahan.", Captain Stanley called, slipping off his helmet." Good to see you again, Pal. How've you been? "

" I'm doin' fine, Hank.", he sat down his case." Ran into B.C. McConakee the other day. He sends his regards."

" Yeah, well. Uh…", the captain quickly slipped his helmet back on." I think we've got another arson on our hands."

The investigator stared at the garage.

" Wonderful.", he frowned." What makes you say so? "

" Well, there's a clear v-pattern in the corner back there. I'm no genius, but I'd say that's your point of origin. Plus, the side door was jimmied open."

Johnny ambled back to the squad. He slipped off his turnout coat and tossed it onto the hood.

Two little boys walked over near the mouth of the alley and stopped.

Johnny hooked his thumbs through the suspenders of his turnout pants and flashed a smile at them.

" Hi there."

The tow-headed boy wearing a cowboy hat pointed at Squad 51.

" What's that truck for? "

" Well, this here's called a rescue squad. We've got all kinds of tools inside to rescue people if they get in a jam. Different kinds of medicine too, to help you if you're sick."

The other boy, an inch taller, with brown hair, pointed at the engine.

" What's that one? "

Roy slipped off his helmet and placed it on top of the squad.

" That's the pumper.", he smiled." It carries water and hoses to put the fire out."

The taller boy elbowed his shorter friend.

" Tell 'em Pete."

The shorter boy opened his mouth then stopped.

Johnny crouched in front of the boys.

" What is it? Ya got another question for me? "

" I saw this man walk out of that garage and then smoke started coming out."

Johnny stood up and shot Roy a surprised look.

" Hey Cap! ", he shouted." C'mere! "

Eight-year-old Pete sat in the bed of the squad, staring up at Captain Stanley and Investigator Callahan.

" What did he look like, son? ", asked the investigator.

" He was skinny. Like him.", the boy replied, pointing at Johnny. Then, pointing at Roy, he said:" But his hair was red, like his."

" What was he wearing? ", asked the captain.

" Green T-shirt. I have one just like it. It's my favorite."

Stanley leaned against the squad.

" Was he driving a car? "

" Nope. He just turned around and watched the fire for a minute, then he ran up the alley."

The investigator copied the information down on a note pad.

" And where were you? "

The boy pointed at a small stand of bushes across the street.

" I was playin' hide an' seek. Jeff was lookin' for me."

" Well, you've been very helpful, son.", Said Callahan, helping the boy down from the squad." In just a minute, I'm gonna take you home in that red car over there, okay? "

The boy shook his head.

" No? ", asked Callahan.

The little boy pointed at Engine 51.

" Can I go home in that one? "

Captain Stanley slipped off his heavy glove and took the boy's hand.

" Well, Pal. I guess that would be okay."

" Can I turn on the siren? "

" Don't press your luck."

Johnny sat on the couch in the station's day room, stroking Henry who had rested his head in his lap.

" I just don't get it. What possesses somebody to go around setting fires? I mean, that's an individual with some major hang ups."

Marco stood at the stove, stirring a pot of chili. Chet stood beside him, tossing oyster crackers into his mouth.

" I bet people say the same thing about us.", Chet's mouth was full." What possesses some guy to go runnin' into a burnin' building? "

Johnny raised an eyebrow as he stared at Chet.

" Now, surely you're not comparing firemen to arsonists? "

" No. But it makes you think, though."

" That's dangerous.", Marco mumbled.

" Think about it, Gage.", Chet brushed the crumbs from his hands." We're two sides of the same coin. I think firemen are fascinated with fire, but in a different way."

Mike was playing solitaire at the kitchen table.

" Yeah? ", he snapped down a card." In what way? "

" We know a lot about fire.", Chet continued." How it burns. Combustion points. The best way to knock it down. Firebug knows a lot about fire, too. What incendiary devices to use. What burns best. We're both fascinated by fire, but in different ways."

" Well, I'm not fascinated by fire.", Johnny replied.

Chet tossed another cracker in his mouth.

" No, Johnny. Outside of women, not too many things interest you."

" What's that supposed to mean? "

" Boy, is he thick.", Chet said to Marco.

" Hey, I've got plenty of interests, Kelly.", Johnny protested.

" Yeah? ", Chet turned around." Like what? "

Johnny thought for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak when the klaxon sounded.

" ENGINE 110, ENGINE 51, ENGINE 24, TRUCK 118, SQUAD 110, BATTALION 14.", the dispatcher called." GARAGE FIRE. 372 AND 1½ WILSON 3-7-2- AND 1½ WILSON. CROSS STREET, MAYWOOD. TIME OUT: 1810."

Mike threw down his cards as he pushed back from the table.

" Here we go again."

Marco turned down the heat on the stove. Chet grabbed a handful of crackers as he jogged towards the door.

" Keep thinkin', Johnny. Maybe you'll come up with something."

" Shut up, Chet! ", Johnny snapped.

Roy walked in as Engine 51 growled to life on the apparatus floor. He lifted the lid on the pot as the pumper screamed out of the station.

" Chili again, huh? ", he frowned." I'm gonna have Joanne start packin' food for me."

" Hey, Roy? ", said Johnny." I'm a pretty well rounded guy, right? "

Roy looked back at Johnny as he pulled a carton from the refrigerator.

" The roundest."

" I'm serious, Roy. Chet just said that outside of chicks, I'm not interested in anything else. Now, that makes me sound like a pretty shallow guy."

Roy sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of milk.

" Chet's just tryin' to get on your nerves. Looks like he's done a pretty good job of it, too."

Johnny pushed the dog off of his lap as he stood.

" I've got plenty of interests. Like, um…"

" Fishing."

" Right! ", Johnny smiled as he snapped his fingers." Right. Fishing. _Fishing_ and…"

Roy stared at him as he sipped his milk. Johnny stared back at him.

" Well, come on Roy! Help me out here…"

A set of tones sounded and they jogged out of the kitchen.

" SQUAD 51, IN PLACE OF SQUAD 110, DOWN MECHANICAL, GARAGE FIRE, IN 110'S AREA. 372& 1½ WILSON. 3-7-2 & 1½ WILSON. CROSS STREET, MAYWOOD. TIME OUT: 1814."

Engine 51 roared to stop in the street behind Engine 110. The garage attached to a two story house was fully involved. Smoke and flames billowed out of an open side window.

Engine 110's captain stood on the lawn watching as two of his men stretched a two and a half inch line up the driveway.

Captain Stanley skipped over the hose line as he jogged over.

" Cap, where do you want us? "

" Hank, we're gonna need a supply line and have your men open up that door so my guys can hit those flames."

" Lopez! Kelly! Grab a pike pole and open up that door! ", Stanley called before turning back to the other captain." Anybody search the house yet? "

" Not yet.", replied 110's captain." We just got on scene about sixty seconds ahead of you guys."

Marco and Chet donned their breathing apparatus and made their way past the hose team in the driveway.

Chet used a pair of bolt cutters to snap the padlock off of the door. Marco snared the handle in the middle of the roll up door with the hook of the six foot long pike pole.

He used it to slowly roll up the door. As smoke crawled out from underneath the door, Engine 110's nozzle man opened up the nozzle and he and his partner pushed forward behind a fog pattern of water.

Marco lifted the door further and hot orange flames began to leap out at them. Chet grabbed the bottom of the door and helped him push it all the way to the top. They retreated a few feet as the hose team moved in closer.

Squad 51 screamed around the corner and pulled to a stop at the curb behind Engine 51.

" Roy! John! Need ya to search the house! ", Stanley called.

Johnny opened a side compartment on the squad and handed an air bottle to Roy.

" Ten to one, it's another arson.", Roy said as he slung the harness of the breathing apparatus onto his shoulders.

They both slipped on their masks then jogged across the lawn and into the house.

" Fire Department! ", Johnny called as they searched the first floor.

The house was only filled with a slight amount of haze, meaning that the fire had most likely not extended into the structure.

After determining that the second floor was clear, Johnny and Roy quickly searched each room of the second floor, finding no victims.

" Engine 110, Squad 51 H.T...", Roy called into the Handy-Talkie as they descended the stairs." Primary search is complete. House is clear."

" 10-4, SQUAD 51.", replied 110's captain." ASSIST ENGINE 24 WITH STRETCHING A SECOND LINE."

" Hey, wait.", Johnny said, slipping off his mask." You hear that Roy? "

Roy pulled off his mask.

" Hear what? "

" Like shouting or something."

Johnny made his way into the kitchen and peered through the back door's window.

" I don't believe it! "

He quickly opened the door and rushed into the backyard. Roy followed him to find that a young man was hanging upside down on a wrought iron fence. One of the spiked bars had penetrated completely through the man's left thigh..

" Oh God! Help me! Help me! ", the red haired man shouted.

" Okay now. You'll be alright.", Johnny said, unbuckling his harness." Can you tell me what happened? "

" I'll get the gear.", Roy called, keying the radio as he jogged back inside the house." Engine 51, Squad 51. We've just found a man in the backyard who's impaled on a fence. We're gonna need some help."

" How'd this happen? ", asked Johnny, inspecting the man's wound.

" I…I climbed up in the tree there, to…to get a better look at the fire just now.", the man replied." I…I guess I slipped and I landed on the fence. Come on, man! It hurts real bad!

Can't ya call me a doctor? Get me somethin' for the pain? "

" I'm a paramedic.", said Johnny." We're gonna help you, but…"

The man's jacket fell open to reveal that he was wearing a green T-shirt underneath.

" There's a guy stuck on the fence back there? ", asked Chet, as he jogged across the lawn to the squad.

Roy opened a side compartment.

" There's a spike clean through his leg.", he handed Chet the black trauma box as he retrieved the orange Bio-Phone case." Cap! We're gonna need a torch! "

Johnny met Roy and Engine 51's crew as they re-entered the yard.

" That's him.", he said quietly." That's our firebug. Same clothes. Red hair. It's gotta be him."

" I'll get the sheriffs over here.", Captain Stanley said, taking a step back." L.A., Engine 51. Request Sheriff at our location."

Johnny carefully scaled the fence and vaulted over it onto the other side.

Roy placed the Bio-Phone on top of a trashcan and opened the case.

" Rampart Base, this is Rescue 51, how do you read? "

Dr. Morton stepped into the Rampart base station.

" This is Rampart Base, I read you loud and clear, '51. Go ahead."

" Rampart, Squad 51. We have a male, approximately 20 years old. He is currently impaled on a fence. He has an iron rod piercing his left thigh. We are in the process of extricating him now. Stand by for vitals."

" 10-4, '51. ", Morton waved over Dr. Brackett.

" What is it, Mike? ", asked Brackett.

" 51's got a man impaled on a fence. Thought you might want to listen in."

" _Squad_ 51? ", asking Dixie, taking a seat at the counter." I just heard them dispatched to a garage fire on the scanner."

" Another garage fire? ", Dr. Brackett sighed." Fantastic."

Chet had joined Johnny on the opposite side of the fence and was doing his best to hold up the victim to prevent any further damage to the leg.

" B.P.'s 110/80.", Johnny said, unwrapping the blood pressure cuff." Pulse is 70. Respiration's 30."

" Rampart, Squad 51.", Roy called again." Patient's B.P. is 110 over 80, Pulse 70 and respirations 30. We have him on 2 liters o-2."

" 10-4, '51.", Dr. Morton replied." How much blood has the patient lost? "

Roy looked at Johnny.

" About three units.", Johnny replied, cutting open the patient's pants leg.

Roy nodded as he scribbled in his notebook.

" Approximately three units blood loss, Rampart."

" '51, establish large bore IV, Ringer's Lactate.", Dr. Morton replied.

" Hey, it really hurts, man.", the patient grumbled from under the oxygen mask.

" I told you, we're doin' everything we can for ya.", Johnny replied, using his teeth to tear off a strip of medical tape." I just need you to stay calm and don't move."

Deputy Vince Howard walked into the backyard of the house on the opposite side of the fence followed by more firefighters.

" Hey, what…what're the cops doin' here? ", asked the victim.

Vince pulled a notepad from his backpocket and flipped it open.

" Yeah, he matches the description, all right."

The victim looked up at him.

" What? What description? "

" Can you account for your whereabouts for the last twenty-four hours? ", asked Vince.

The man lowered his head and just stared down at the ground.

Vince folded his arms.

" Yeah, that's what I thought. Mister, I think you're the firebug who's been causing so much trouble.", Vince pulled a small card from his front pocket and began to read." You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

The man looked up at Vince with a defeated look.

" Ya got anything to say for yourself? ", asked Vince, slipping off his helmet.

" I didn't mean to…", the victim started." The first time…I was just tryin' to have a little fun. Then, I just couldn't stop. I climbed up in the tree to get over the fence and I fell. I'm sorry. I'm…", he began crying." I'm so sorry."

Two of Truck 118's firefighters carried a step ladder into the backyard and set it up near the fence.

" Ready, Marco? ", asked Captain Stanley.

Marco slipped down his safety visor and climbed up the ladder.

" Ready, Cap."

" Now, look..", Johnny said to the victim after he started the IV and handed the bag off to another firefighter." We're gonna have to use a torch on that spike in order to get you off of this fence. It's gonna get pretty hot."

" I don't care, man. The Fuzz is gonna take me away. ", the victim sighed.

" Yeah, looks that way.", Johnny responded." You ready? "

" Yeah.", he said sadly.' Let's get this over with."

Marco nodded and lit the torch. He focused the blue flame then leaned forward and used it to melt hrough the iron bar.

Two minutes later, Marco had almost separated the spike from the fence.

" Okay. Okay, let's get 'im.", Johnny called out." Watch the oxygen, Marco."

" Almost through! ", Marco called.

Johnny, Chet and two other firefighters grabbed the man in order to help him down when he was freed from the fence.

" Man, you weren't kiddin' about it bein' hot.", the patient replied.

Finally, the flame of the acetylene torch burned through the spike.

Marco switched off the torch and gave Johnny a thumbs up sign.

" Here we go, fellas.", Johnny said." Easy! Easy."

The four firefighters carried the man a short distance away from the fence and eased him down onto the grass.

" Rampart, Squad 51.", Roy called into the Bio-Phone's handset." Patient has been extricated from the fence. We will transport as soon as possible. E.T.A. five minutes when ambulance arrives."

" 10-4, Squad 51.", Morton's voice replied from the radio." We'll see you in a few. Rampart out."

Captain Stanley walked over as Roy closed up the Bio-Phone case.

" It's kind of a shame when ya think about it.", he said.

Roy slipped off his helmet.

" What's that, Cap? "

" That we can't leave 'im up there."

Dr. Early walked alongside Katrina and her mother as a nurse guided Katrina's wheelchair towards the exit.

" We can't thank you enough, Doctor.", Katrina's mother said as they stopped at the automatic doors." We will be staying with our neighbor until we can rebuild our home."

" Glad to hear it.", Dr. Early said." Take good care of Otto, Katrina. And come back and visit us. Okay? "

" I will.", the little girl sang, hugging her bear tightly.

Dr. Early turned and headed back down the hall as they left. He looked up to see Dr. Brackett staring at him with a slight smirk.

" What? ", asked Early.

Brackett smiled at him.

" Why, Joe. I do believe that you've turned into an old softy."

" I'm not soft, Doctor. It's just a good bedside manner."

Johnny and Roy had stopped by the base station to pick up supplies before returning to quarters.

" So that was the only excuse he gave for setting the fires? ", asked Dixie, sitting down at the counter." Sometimes I think I'll never understand people."

Johnny leaned against the counter.

" I know what you mean.", he said, as he rested his chin in his hand." Sometimes you get fed up."

" Sounds like you're about ready for that vacation.", Roy said, pointing at him with the Handy-Talkie.

" You're going on vacation, Johnny? ", asked Dixie.

" Uh huh. It's gonna be great. I think I'm gonna take up some new hobbies. Maybe painting or woodworking. Maybe stamp collecting."

" Chet told him that girls were the only thing that interested him.", Roy explained." Johnny's trying to prove him wrong."

" That's not true.", Johnny protested." I could care less what ol' Chester B. has to say about John Gage. I was just-"

Three beeps called from the Handy-Talkie.

" SQUAD 51, FIRST-AID TYPE RESCUE. 331 ELI COURT. 3-3-1 ELI COURT. CROSS STREET DOUGLAS. TIME OUT: 1957."

" Squad 51, 10-4. Responding from Rampart Emergency.", Roy replied." Come on, Johnny. You can think up more hobbies on the way."

Johnny scooped up the box of supplies and followed his partner down the hall.

One week later.

Johnny walked into Station 51's kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

" Well? ", asked Marco, standing at the sink holding a bowl of cereal.

" Well, what? ", Johnny replied, annoyed.

" How was the vacation, John? ", asked Captain Stanley, looking up from his newspaper.

" Miserable, Cap. All of Chet's nonsense about me only being interested in chicks got into my head. So, I thought I'd take up some hobbies. I tried painting. Turns out, I can't paint a lick. I can't even draw. And, I ended up spilling red paint on my carpet. I can't get it out."

" Well, that's not so bad.", said Roy, taking a seat at the table.

" But wait. It gets worse. I thought I'd try woodworking.", he held up his left thumb to reveal that it was wrapped in a small adhesive bandage." I nicked my thumb."

" What about stamp collecting? ", asked Mike." Desoto said you were gonna try that, too."

" That's the worst of all. I went down to the hobby shop to pick up some stamps."

" You couldn't get stamps at the post office? ", asked the Captain.

" Oh, not the stupid collectible ones. I met this cute little chick who works there and we got to talking. I took her out to dinner. Half way through our meal, she excuses herself and doesn't come back. She ditched me! Me! I blew thirty-five bucks on that place! "

Chet strolled into the kitchen, whistling happily to himself.

" Hey, Johnny. How was the vacation? "

" Pretty crummy. No thanks, to you."

" Me? What'd I do? "

" What'd _you_ do? ", Johnny snapped." What'd _you_ do?You…I mean…you really….ahhhh forget it. I'm gonna go check the squad."

Johnny stalked past him and headed out onto the apparatus floor.

Chet sat down at the table.

" What's his problem? "

" He's mad because all of that stuff you said to him about not having any interests and only caring about chicks got to him.", Roy smirked.

" Poor guy.", Chet leaned back in his chair." Sounds to me like he needs a vacation."

**END**


End file.
